The morning air clung to Kaito's skin as he waited beneath the cherry tree, a photo album tucked under his arm. Dawn painted the courtyard in gold, and he rehearsed his excuse—just showing her the exhibit additions, nothing more—when footsteps crunched behind him.
Aoi stood frozen, her blazer buttoned to the throat despite the spring warmth. "You're… early."
"World's ending, huh?" Kaito grinned, tossing her the album. "For the entrance display. Thought you'd wanna approve it before the mob arrives."
She caught it warily, flipping through pages—candid shots of festival prep: Yuki mid-laugh, Hiro juggling tea cups, and… herself. Aoi bent over poetry cards, hair slipping from its bun. Aoi scowling at a tangled string of lights. Aoi, bathed in sunset, holding a stray blossom.
Her breath hitched. "These are… invasive."
"You're welcome," Kaito said, leaning closer. "Captured your best side—the one where you're not yelling."
"I don't—" She snapped the album shut, cheeks pink. "They're… adequate. Now help me check the tea stocks."
---
By noon, the café throbbed with students. Kaito dodged a tray of wagashi, snapping pics of guests marveling at the photo-poetry fusion. Aoi moved like a general—directing first-years, adjusting signage, her stern demeanor melting whenever a shy underclassman approached.
"T-this poem…" A girl trembled, clutching Aoi's sleeve. "Is it okay to… to feel unsure?"
Aoi knelt, voice softening. "Uncertainty is where growth begins. Your verse is brave."
Kaito's camera clicked, capturing Aoi's smile—small, sincere, stunning.
Yuki materialized, swiping a matcha macaron. "Admit it. You're smitten."
"Nah," Kaito said, eyes trailing Aoi. "Just impressed she hasn't imploded."
---
Dusk brought lanterns aglow. The crowd thinned, leaving Kaito and Aoi alone beneath the blossom arch.
"Not bad for a 'rustic' disaster," Kaito said, nudging her shoulder.
Aoi adjusted her glasses, avoiding his gaze. "Your photos… they made people pause. That's rare."
He stepped closer. "You made 'em think. We're a good team."
A petal caught in her hair. Kaito reached to brush it away—
BOOM.
Fireworks erupted, painting the sky in bursts of gold. They jerked apart as students flooded the courtyard, cheering.
"I should—" Aoi backed away, voice trembling. "—check the cleanup crew."
"Aoi—"
But she vanished into the crowd, leaving Kaito under a shower of sparks and unresolved words.
---
Later, Yuki found Aoi staring at the photo album, fingertips tracing the page where her own laughter froze in time.
"You okay?"
"Fine," Aoi lied, snapping it shut. Her heart thundered, echoing the fireworks' ghost.
Across campus, Kaito scrolled through his camera roll, lingering on a shot of Aoi bathed in lantern light—eyes wide, lips parted, perfect.
He saved it as Tree_2.jpg.
Some secrets bloomed best in the dark.